Means and method of coupling cotton-ties



W. G. TURNER.

' MEANS AND METHOD OF COUPLING COTTON TIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY25, 1918.

1,332,645, Patented Mar. 2,1920;

. Qvwewtoz William G. Turner". W 5W,

6 How: 01 4 WILLIAM GRUBB TURNER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

MEANS AND METHOD OF COUPLING COTTON-TIES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed May 25, 1918. Serial No. 236,593.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GRUBB TURNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, Shelby county, and State of Tennessee, haveinvented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Means andMethods of Coupling Cotton-Ties, of which the following is aspecification.

My said invention consists in certain improvements in the method andmeans employed in coupling the free ends of metal bands such as arecommonly used as tiesin baling cotton, all of which will be herelnaftermore fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof, andon which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view in which is illustrated the lapped endsof a tie for a cotton bale as they appear just previous to the operationof forming the fold or twist preparatory to securing them together.

Fi 2, a similar view showing the parts as they appear after being foldedor twisted, and

Fig. 3, a similar view showing the folded or twisted portion as finallysecured together by the clamping member.

In the "operation of baling cotton, the ends of the tie are threadedthrough transverse channels in the upper and lower platens of thecompress, as is well understood. The tie is drawn as taut about the baleas possible and the free ends buckled together by manual labor. In thepractice of my present invention said ends 10 and 11 are lapped one overthe other as shown in Fig. 1, the clamping member 12 being first placedupon the end 10 above the point where the lap is to be made. A tool 15such as is illustrated in Fig. 1, having a bifurcated end, is thenplaced over the lap with its upper edge near the end of the outsidemember 11. A handle is applied to the squared shank 26 of said tool andthe same is turned to double the ends over upon each other and form afold or twist in said lapped ends and the operation at the same timeserves to draw the bale tie taut around the bale.

The member 12 is of the form clearly illustrated in the several figuresof the drawing. It is provided with a notch 16 in its opposite sideswhich enables it to pass down over the fold and embrace the end of thetwisting tool before the twisting tool is removed, as indicated in Fig.2, and thus start the clamping member over the fold before said fold isenlarged or opened under the strain or spring expansion of the metalitself. The tool being removed the clamping member is slid down to theposition shown in Fig. 3, the lip 17 being bent in by a blow with ahammer or other appropriate tool to engage the top of the fold andprevent the clamping member from passing over said fold and also toretain it in its proper position around the fold and thus prevent anyundoing thereof.

By this means the bale tie may be quickly secured and at the same timedrawn taut so as to prevent any undue expansion of the bale after thetie is applied.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A securing device for bale ties comprising a clamping member adaptedto slide over a fold formed in the overlapped ends of the tie and havinga notch in one side adapted to embrace a twisting or folding tool and alip to retain the member in place, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of coupling the ends of a bale tie together which consistsin applying a twisting tool over the lapped ends of said tie, turningsaid tool to double said ends upon each other, sliding a clamping memberforward to embrace said doubled over portion and the edge of the toolinto position to hold said doubled portion from expansion, removing thetool, and then fixing said clamping member in position, substantially asset forth.

3. A bale tie joint formed by doubling over the lapped ends of the baletie, said doubled portion being surrounded and held together by aclamping member formed with a tongue or lip adapted to retain saidclamping member in position and with notches in its sides adapted topermit said clamping member to pass partly to position before thetwisting tool is removed, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Washington,District of Columbia, this twenty-third day of May, A. D. nineteenhundred and eighteen.

WILLIAM GRUBB TURNER. 1,. 5.

Witnesses:

E. W. BRADFORD, CHAS. E. RIORDAN.

